our chests collapse, hollow against the air and the wine sits heavy on my tongue as we stir and shift, shoulders hunching forward from the harsh bamboo backs. the lights glare on the windows, casting pale ovals on the floor and the birds smash against the glass their wings sweeping their skulls and brittle bones forward.
i waste waste waste my time, curled between the couch back and plaid pillow. the sun beats down and i sweat through my dreams, drowning in crumpled paper.
we slept in a row and the music mix played our soft-hour songs as we batted through our lives since we left. i woke to hear them laughing and couldn't sleep again for a long time.